Improvement in stereotype-plates



J. B. R. LBSPINASSE. Stereotype-Plate.

No. 221,685. Patented Nov.18,1879.

Fig. 4'.

I WM M1 A zei gw W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN B. It. LESPINASSE,OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB OF TWO-THIRDS OF HIS RIGHT TO GEORGE C.THOMAS AND REUBEN H. PETERS, OF

SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEM ENT IN STEREOTYPE-PLATES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 221,685, dated November18, 1879; application filed May 13, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN B. R. LESPINASSE, of the city of Chicago, inthe county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Stereotype or Electrot-ype Plates, which improvement isfully set forth in the following specification and accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of such a plate towhich the invention is applied. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one ofthe strips used in fastening the plate to its supporting-block. Fig. 3is a perspective of a supporting-block. Fig. 4 is a cross-verticalsection, showing the relation of the plate, the supportin g-block, andfastening-stripwheit applied in use. Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinalsection of two plates, showing the manner of connecting and adjusting atthe ends of the plates.

The invention has relation to the form of .such plates with reference tothe method of securing the plates to their supporting-blocks andconnecting and justifying the same to the length of the column, theobject being to secure the plate of the same width of type-surface inthe ordinary newspaper-column either when the column is made upentirelyof two or more of such plates or of one or more ofsuch plates,with common type in the same column, the type-surface of the plate andthe newspaper-column in which it is used being of like width, and tojustify the length of such column in either case.

To that end the invention consists in providing the plates with groovesall around and cutting away the under part of the grooved plate and theentire edge of the base-block on the sides next to the column-rule, andsupplying the space so recessed or cut away b fastening devices havingright-angular lips or flanges at the top adapted to take into the sidegrooves of the plate, and being arranged so that the part below the lipshall impinge the side of the base-block in such manner that theorninary column-rule may be applied, in the usual-manner, alongside oneor more of such plates thus secured to the base-block in the chase inthe same column. with ordinary type when the type-surface of such plateand common type is of like width, and in applying thin strips of metalhaving parallel sides, but varying in width, in the end grooves of suchplates, to justify in length the column in which such plates are used.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts. A is the stereotype orelectrotype plate, which should be made of the ordinary typemetal orother suitable material, and should be of the ordinary or any desirablethickness. The size and shape of its superficial area should be such asto correspond to the matter which it is'to containthatis, to theordinary newspaper-column 0r book-page.

In the edges of the plateA are formed groves B B, extending into theplate about a quarter of an inch, on a plane nearly or quite parallelwith the top surface of the plate and extending continuously around it.The part of the plate which contains the printing-surface above thegroove B projects slightly beyond the part which lies below the saidgroove.

C is the block which supports the plate A. This block may be made oftype'metal or of hard wood or any other suitable material, and shouldcorrespond in width exactly to the width of the under part of the plateA, and one or more blocks may be used to make up the requisite length tocorrespond with that of the plate, and the under side of the plate andupper surface of the block or blocks should be made straight andsnioothto correspond and fit together.

D D are strips or narrow plates to be used in securing the plate A fastto its supportingblock C. The strips D may be made of tin or othersuitable sheet metal, and should correspond in length to the length ofthe plate or plates A, with which the strips are used. Along one edge orside of these strips there isa lip, (1, formed by bending a narrow partof the strips edge over at a right angle, or nearly so, so that when thestrip is placed with its side against the side of the block C the lip cl0f the strip will project into the groove B of plate A, when said plateA is placed on top of the block 0. Fig. 4. shows these parts so applied.

It will be noticed that the thickness of the may be placed into thechase or form and strip D is such that when applied to the block 0 andthat part of plate A which lies below the groove of said plate, itisjust sutiieient to come flush with the upper part of said plate, whichprojects a little beyond the lower part, as before described. When theparts are thus applied to each other, as shown in Fig. 4, they looked inplace in the ordinary way and in the same manner as type, eitherseparately or in connection with type. When so locked in the plate A andits su uporting-bloek U will be held firmly together by means of thestrips D and theirlips (I in the side grooves, l,ot'said plate.

For the purpose of commuting the plates A at their ends, when two ormore of them are joined in the same column, the end grooves are used incotnbination with narrow strips of varying widths. These strips are madeof metal. They are of a thickness adapted to fill the end grooves, haveparallel sides, and their length corresponds to the width of thestereotype-plates. Their width varies from twice the depth of said endgrooves in the stereotype-plates up to the. width of an ordinary leadused by printers-say, from threeeighths of an inch to seven-eighths oran inch wide. I make these strips of varying widths, for the purposeofjustit'ying the length of the column-that is, so that by means of thestrips the space between any two plates, or the space between any plateand the plate lying next above or below it. may be increased ordiminished by substituting a wider or a intrrower strip, as the case mayrequire, and the length ofthe column may be thereby adjusted orjustifiedto any required length.

I am aware of the patent to B. 1%. Blackwell, No. 118,425, of August 29,i871, for improvement in means for holding electlotype-plates, &c., antiof the patent to Kellogg and Shock, No. 166,702, of August 17, 1875, forimprovement in stereotype date holders.

In said Blat-kwell patent are shown and described holding plates orstrips having deflected edges or flanges at a slight angle, which enterV-shaped grooves in the plates or impinge upon the beveled edgesthereof; but this arrangement is difi'erent from mine, which has theholding-plates deflected at a right angle and entering right-angulargrooves in the edges of the stereoty )e-plates, which enables me to makethe plates thinner, aml at the same time give them greater strength,

because the right-angled flanges of the holding-plates in theright-angular grooves are protected by the side walls of the groovesfrom being bent back, thereby giving the full strength of the metal ofthe holding-plates to secure the stereotype-plate to its base; and,moreover, my invention relates to the stereotype-plate itself, as wellas the holding devices, and the upper part of the plate on the sidesnext to the column-rule is made to project beyond the lower part of theplate, which enables the plate and common type of the same width oftype-surface to be locked by the ordinary column-rule and appliances inthe chase together in the same column, which cannot be accomplishedunless the lower part of the plate is recessed and its block cut away toreceive the holding-plates.

In so far as the said patent No. 166,702 is concerned, my inventionrelates to the means for both connecting the plates and justifying thelength of the column at the same time by providing strips of varyingwidths, and adapting the same to the stereotype-plates, whose side edgesare constructed as before described.

It will, therefore, be seen thatI do not claim any of the devices shownor described in either of the said former patents; but,

Having thus described my invention and the tnatmer of using it, what Iclaim is 1. As an improvement in stereotype-plates, the plate providedwith the grooves B 13, extending around on all edges of the plate, andhaving the part of such plate above the groove on the sides next to thecolumn-rule project beyond the part lying below said groove,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. As an improvement in means for securing cltctlblylte-Iilfltfis, &c.,in place, and justitying the column in which the same are used,thccombination ofthe plates A,having grooves B B in all their edges andthe projecting upper part on the sides next to the column-rule, with theholding-plates D D, having right-angular lips (I (I applied in said sidegrooves and narrow strips of varying widths, as herein described,applied in said end grooves, and the base-block (I, all combined andarranged substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. As an improvement in means for justifying the length of the column,two or more plates, A, having corresponding grooves in their ends, incombination with narrow strips of varying widths, as herein described,applied in said end grom'es, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

JNO. B. R. LESPINASSE.

\Yitnesses:

Jso. II. WntrrLE, J. W. MERRIAM.

